


We are friends

by yoimwriting



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Club Owner Magnus Bane, Domestic Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, M/M, Mutual Pining, Photographer Alec Lightwood, Pre-Relationship, They are best friends who already hooked up, They are scared to try something but they are ready, mentions of past relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-13
Updated: 2017-10-13
Packaged: 2019-01-16 20:42:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12350307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yoimwriting/pseuds/yoimwriting
Summary: Yes, they were friends but they could try again, really try and make a relationship out of it.





	We are friends

Magnus woke up to the sound of pots and pans moving in the kitchen, along with the alluring smell of bacon. That meant Alec was cooking their breakfast.

He stretched out in his bed, took a deep breath and moved the bed sheets from him. After standing from the bed, he stretched out again and walked to his in suite bathroom to clean himself up. The smell was driving him crazy, so he brushed his teeth and walked out of his room.

He walked straight to the kitchen and there, in his holy presence, was his best friend, wearing a worn out t-shirt that did little to conceal that broad back, sweatpants hung low on his hips and barefoot.

Magnus took a deep breath. Living with his best friend that also was his huge crush was killing him softly. And how could he not? Alec Lightwood was the embodiment of everything he wanted in a boyfriend but couldn’t have because of many reasons. The most important: the fear of said relationship not working and their friendship ruined for good.

Magnus wasn’t going to risk it. Not again.

“What’s cooking, good looking?” Magnus took a seat in the bar stool. He was only human and calling Alec by nicknames was a weakness.

“Bacon and eggs, sweetheart.” Alec replied, turning around with two plates already with said food. He was sporting a little smile while he put down the plates and took a seat in front of Magnus.

Magnus suppressed the need to breath out a dreamy sight. He was weak, very weak.

Of course, Alec wasn’t like that. Answering with other nicknames? Only in Magnus’ dreams. When they’d started living together, Alec usually sported a blush or he would just laugh. With time, Magnus supposed, Alec just got accustomed with that; one day he’d greeted Magnus with “pumpkin” and that was it. It was now a ritual of them, almost like a competition of who could come up with the most ridiculous pet names.

“What are you doing today?” Alec asked after he munched a strip of bacon.

“I don’t know.” Magnus replied, shrugging. “Sleep a little more, I think. I have to rest before I go to the club.”

Owning a club was a little harder than he thought it would be but that came with owning one of the most successful clubs in the city, so he wasn’t complaining.

“Again?” Alec asked again, frowning.

Magnus nodded “I have to do inventory and how my numbers are doing. We are running low on vodka, which is a damn shame.”

Alec laughed a little.

“I’m going out tonight.” Alec commented, after a while of silence.

There was a pit on Magnus’ stomach that grew every time Alec said those four words. It wasn’t like he didn’t go out and had his hooking up from time to time but knowing his crush was having fun with someone else… Well, it wasn’t fun at all.

“Someone you met?” Magnus tried to sound excited, he really did because his friend was going out, having a blast, meeting new people but… Was it selfish to think that didn’t want that?

Alec nodded “We met in a photo shoot last week. We talked, exchanged numbers and we agreed to meet today.” He shrugged. “We are going to see how far we can go.”

Magnus nodded slowly and looked down to his plate, so he could avoid looking at Alec. He tried to hide his disappointment; suddenly, his breakfast wasn’t so appealing.

“Would you like to help me choose an outfit?”

Magnus looked up and with all the strength he had, he smiled “Of course. You know, if I didn’t own a club, I would be a fashion designer or stylist.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m going to take full advantage of that.” Alec replied, smiling big and bright.

Magnus narrowed his eyes “You are a mean one, Mr. Lightwood.”

Alec, for his part, just shrugged and looked innocently at Magnus; the latter just huffed in annoyance.

“I’m starting to think that’s why you are still living with me.”

Alec rose up, taking his plate with him to put it in the sink “You know I still live with you because I care about you.” He replied without turning around.

If only they could be more than caring.

Alec turned around and looked at Magnus worryingly “What happened? I thought you were hungry.”

“Yeah, I am. I’m just‒ I’m savoring every bit.” He grimaced. At least his awkward moments were only in the mornings; he could make up the excuse that it was because of his lack of sleep.

"Okay." Alec said, but for Magnus' ears, he didn't sound convinced and for good reason; Magnus didn't feel convinced either. "Well, I'm going to edit some 

photos. Can I catch you later? With my outfit and all that."  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Of course." Magnus replied, smiling more freely this time.  
  
Alec smiled as well and walked out of the kitchen.  
  
His smiled vanished the moment Alec walked out with only one thought keeping him company in the empty kitchen.  
  
-italics- We are friends. Just friends -italics-  
  
$$$  
  
Alec closed the door of his room and sighed deeply.  
  
He had been pining for his best friend since they'd started living together and everything had been fine until‒  
  
Alec shook his head. He wasn't going to dwell on it. They were fine like this. They were friends, best friends and he wasn't going to risk it. He was going out that night, have fun and try to avoid wishing the guy he was going out with was Magnus instead.  
  
He turned around, took his laptop and proceed to edit the photos from his last weak photo shoot, getting lost in his work, letting time pass by.  
  
$$$  
  
Later that night, Magnus was in Alec's bedroom to say his yes or not in whatever outfit Alec had come up with. Currently, they were in the fifth, where Alec was already exasperated.  
  
"Listen, you are not going out with a flannel shirt. I had taught you better than that." Magnus reprimanded him.  
  
"But I'm tired." Alec groaned "Can you just‒ you know, get in there and find something for me?"  
  
"No, you have to learn. Go in there and find something presentable."  
  
Yeah, he didn't want Alec going out with someone else but he didn't have the right to demand Alec that he should stop. He wouldn't do that.  
  
Alec huffed in annoyance and went to his closet.

“At this point you should know how to do this, Alexander.”

Alec snorted “Well, I’m sorry to crash your expectations, Magnus but matching my clothes is still a rough skill.”

“A damn shame, really.” Magnus murmured.

After two tries later, Alec was sporting a dark purple buttoned up black pants but still barefoot. He still got time before he could go on his date. They were sitting in Alec’s bed, one beside the other. They were silent, both of them immerse in their thoughts.

It was a common occurrence for them for them to be silent most of the time since their accident; it was better to be awkward and uncomfortable with one another than talk about the pink elephant in the room.

“Magnus, do you‒ I shouldn’t go.” Alec said, turning around to look straight at his friend.

“What? We have been looking for clothes for you over an hour. What do you mean you shouldn’t go?”

“I can’t stand leaving with another guy when we should stop being cowards and talk about what happened.” Alec said, firmly and without his gaze wavering.

“We’d agreed we wouldn’t talk about it.”

Alec sighed ruefully. All his tries to talk about were in vain. He should be more persistent but knowing it was a sore spot for Magnus, he just left it that way and instead, he pretended nothing happened, just like Magnus had been doing since that day.

 _That day_ meaning when they’d sleep together after a night out and, with their emotions flying high, both of them made confessions that weren’t meant to be said with too much alcohol and sex involved. So, the morning after, they’d talked about it, agreed to start something but instead going smooth sailing, like it was supposed to because they’d  known each other so well and they were already friends so a relationship could be an improvement, it went awkward.

It wasn’t like their confessions were lies, all that was true but Alec guessed it wasn’t the right time and for that, they’d agreed to broke it off and remain friends. But that was hard too, finding their balance in their friendship after that.

He still felt deeply for Magnus and he knew Magnus felt the same way.

“What if we end up like the last time? I don’t want to risk it again, Alexander. We are in a good place right now. “

“And I don’t want to go out with anyone but you.”

“Well,” Magnus shrugged “don’t go out.”

 “Magnus.” Alec admonished him.

“What? I can still be selfish. Don’t go out.”

Alec shook his head but smiled a little. Even in the serious conversations, Magnus still could pull out of him a smile. He stood up.

“Fine, I won’t go.” He conceded; he walked over Magnus and kneeled, looking at him intently “But you have to know that what I said that night‒ I still love you, Magnus and that won’t change.”

“Could’ve fooled me with your dates.” Magnus said, sarcastically crossing his arms.

“You know they don’t mean anything, and you go out too but I know they don’t mean anything either.”

And well, Magnus couldn’t lie when all of that was true.

“I know you are afraid,” Alec continued “I am too but I’m ready to try again and I’ll wait for you when you are ready too, okay?”

Magnus nodded but couldn’t say a thing. Alec smiled at him reassuringly and kissed his cheek softly before standing up.  

“I’m doing dinner. What do you want me to make?”

“Whatever you want, darling.” Magnus replied, waving a hand.

Alec nodded and walked out of the room, leaving Magnus with all his thoughts that went from _don’t risk it_ to _if you love him and he loves you, what’s stopping you?_ The fear that it wouldn’t work or that could end up like another disaster in his book, for sure. Alec was too special for him to lose him.

But it didn’t matter how many times Alec said it, he wouldn’t wait forever for him to get his shit together.

Magnus sighed deeply. Why was it so hard? His future boyfriend was out there making dinner for them. It should be easy by now, their “little” accident was like months ago, and he should just get over it by now because they weren’t the same when that happened.

He stood up.

“Alexander, let’s talk.” Magnus said, walking out of the room and raising his voice to be heard in the kitchen.

Yes, they were friends but they could try again, really try and make a relationship out of it.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, how was it?


End file.
